diff --git a/internal/pkg/manager/manager.go b/internal/pkg/manager/manager.go
index ecdd3a0..fe316c9 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/manager/manager.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/manager/manager.go
@@ -9,8 +9,10 @@ import (
 	"time"
 )
 
+// max allowable connection attempts is 255
+const MaxConnAttempts = 0xFF
+
 // basic manager for starting/stopping checks plus built in heartbeat for downtime detection
-// used across server/reactor
 
 type Connection struct {
 	Attempts    float64 // float for pow
@@ -23,31 +25,43 @@ type Manager struct {
 	Active      int32 // atomic checks
 }
 
-func New(maxCon int) *Manager {
+// errors
+var (
+	ErrInvalidMaxConn      = errors.New("invalid max connection attempts")
+	ErrManagerInactive     = errors.New("manager inactive")
+	ErrManagerActive       = errors.New("manager active")
+	ErrMaxAttemptsExceeded = errors.New("max connection attempts exceeded")
+)
+
+func New(maxConn int) (*Manager, error) {
+
+	if maxConn < 0 || maxConn > MaxConnAttempts {
+		return &Manager{}, ErrInvalidMaxConn
+	}
 
-	c := &Connection{MaxAttempts: maxCon}
+	c := &Connection{MaxAttempts: maxConn}
 	m := &Manager{
 		Connection: c,
 	}
 
-	return m
+	return m, nil
 }
 
 func (m *Manager) Start() error {
-	// atomically checks/updates status
 	if atomic.CompareAndSwapInt32(&m.Active, 0, 1) {
 		m.ResetConnections()
 		return nil
 	}
-	// already running
-	return errors.New("Manager already started!")
+
+	return ErrManagerActive
 }
 
-func (m *Manager) Exit() error {
+func (m *Manager) Stop() error {
 	if atomic.CompareAndSwapInt32(&m.Active, 1, 0) {
 		return nil
 	}
-	return errors.New("Manager not active!")
+
+	return ErrManagerInactive
 }
 
 func (m *Manager) IsActive() int {
@@ -85,12 +99,11 @@ func (c *Connection) Timeout() (time.Duration, error) {
 	c.Lock()
 	defer c.Unlock()
 	if int(c.Attempts) < c.MaxAttempts {
-		c.Attempts += 1
-		// 50, 100, 200...
 		to := time.Duration(50*math.Pow(2, c.Attempts)) * time.Millisecond
+		c.Attempts += 1
 		return to, nil
 	}
-	return 0, errors.New("Connection Failed")
+	return 0, ErrMaxAttemptsExceeded
 }
 
 func (c *Connection) ResetConnections() {
diff --git a/internal/pkg/manager/manager_test.go b/internal/pkg/manager/manager_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5221a6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/pkg/manager/manager_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,206 @@
+package manager
+
+import (
+	"math/rand"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+// creating, starting and stopping tests
+
+// newManager is a helper for creating new managers for tests
+func newManager(conn int, want error, t *testing.T) *Manager {
+	var manager *Manager
+	var err error
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	manager, err = New(conn)
+
+	if err != want {
+		t.Fatalf(
+			`New(%d) = %v, %v, %d max connections failed`,
+			conn,
+			manager,
+			err,
+			conn,
+		)
+	}
+
+	assert.Equal(manager.IsActive(), 0, "manager should start inactive")
+
+	return manager
+}
+
+// TestEmptyManager creates a new manager with 0 max connections
+func TestEmptyManager(t *testing.T) {
+	conn := 0
+	newManager(conn, nil, t)
+}
+
+// TestPostiveManager creates a new manager with valid max connections
+func TestPositiveManager(t *testing.T) {
+	conn := rand.Intn(MaxConnAttempts)
+	newManager(conn, nil, t)
+}
+
+// TestNegativeManager creates a new manager with negative max connections
+func TestNegativeManager(t *testing.T) {
+	conn := -1 * rand.Intn(MaxConnAttempts)
+	newManager(conn, ErrInvalidMaxConn, t)
+}
+
+// TestInvalidManager creates a new manager with large max connections
+func TestInvalidManager(t *testing.T) {
+	conn := MaxConnAttempts + 0xf
+	newManager(conn, ErrInvalidMaxConn, t)
+}
+
+// TestManagerLifeCycle tests that a manager can start and exit several times
+func TestManagerLifeCycle(t *testing.T) {
+
+	var manager *Manager
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	conn := rand.Intn(MaxConnAttempts)
+	manager = newManager(conn, nil, t)
+
+	cycles := 10
+
+	// starting and stopping sequentially
+	for i := 0; i < cycles; i++ {
+
+		assert.NoError(manager.Start(), "starting manager failed")
+		assert.Equal(manager.IsActive(), 1, "manager is inactive after start")
+
+		assert.NoError(manager.Stop(), "stopping manager failed")
+		assert.Equal(manager.IsActive(), 0, "manager is active after stop")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestManagerStopFail tests that stopping an inactive manager will error
+func TestManagerStopFail(t *testing.T) {
+
+	var manager *Manager
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	conn := rand.Intn(MaxConnAttempts)
+	manager = newManager(conn, nil, t)
+
+	assert.NoError(manager.Start(), "starting manager failed")
+
+	// stopping sequentially
+	assert.NoError(manager.Stop(), "stopping manager failed")
+	assert.Error(manager.Stop(), "stopping inactive manager should fail")
+}
+
+// TestManagerStartFail tests that starting an active manager will error
+func TestManagerStartFail(t *testing.T) {
+
+	var manager *Manager
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	conn := rand.Intn(MaxConnAttempts)
+	manager = newManager(conn, nil, t)
+
+	// starting sequentially
+	assert.NoError(manager.Start(), "starting manager failed")
+	assert.Error(manager.Start(), "starting active manager should fail")
+}
+
+// auxiliary tests
+
+// TestManagerTimeout checks that timeouts exponentially backoff
+func TestManagerTimeout(t *testing.T) {
+	var manager *Manager
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	conn := 10
+	manager = newManager(conn, nil, t)
+
+	assert.NoError(manager.Start(), "starting manager failed")
+	assert.Equal(manager.IsActive(), 1, "manager is inactive")
+
+	prevTimeout, err := manager.Timeout()
+
+	for i := 1; i <= conn; i++ {
+		assert.NoError(err, "generating timeout failed")
+		assert.True(prevTimeout > 0, "invalid timeout")
+
+		timeout, err := manager.Timeout()
+
+		if i == conn {
+			assert.Error(err, "allowed exceeding max attempts")
+		} else {
+			assert.NoError(err, "generating timeout failed")
+			assert.True(
+				timeout == 2*prevTimeout,
+				"incorrect timeout %d, expected %d",
+				timeout, 2*prevTimeout,
+			)
+		}
+
+		prevTimeout = timeout
+	}
+}
+
+// TestManagerHB tests the heartbeat channel opens and closes
+func TestManagerHB(t *testing.T) {
+
+	var manager *Manager
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	conn := rand.Intn(MaxConnAttempts)
+	manager = newManager(conn, nil, t)
+
+	assert.NoError(manager.Start(), "starting manager failed")
+	assert.Equal(manager.IsActive(), 1, "manager is inactive")
+
+	ch := make(chan struct{})
+
+	go manager.HeartBeat(ch, 10, 0, time.Millisecond)
+
+	for range ch {
+		// close on first ping
+		assert.NoError(manager.Stop(), "stopping manager failed")
+	}
+
+	assert.Equal(manager.IsActive(), 0, "manager is active")
+}
+
+// TestManagerHBTiming tests the heartbeat channel timing is correct
+func TestManagerHBTiming(t *testing.T) {
+
+	var manager *Manager
+	assert := assert.New(t)
+
+	conn := rand.Intn(MaxConnAttempts)
+	manager = newManager(conn, nil, t)
+
+	assert.NoError(manager.Start(), "starting manager failed")
+	assert.Equal(manager.IsActive(), 1, "manager is inactive")
+
+	ch := make(chan struct{})
+	hb := 100
+	pings := 10
+
+	// expected time with some tolerance for other events
+	expected := time.Duration(pings*hb+5) * time.Millisecond
+
+	go manager.HeartBeat(ch, hb, 0, time.Millisecond)
+
+	iter := 0
+	start := time.Now()
+	for range ch {
+		// close after 10 pings
+		iter += 1
+		if iter >= pings {
+			assert.NoError(manager.Stop(), "stopping manager failed")
+		}
+	}
+	end := time.Now()
+
+	assert.Equal(manager.IsActive(), 0, "manager is active")
+	assert.WithinDuration(start, end, expected, "inaccurate heartbeat")
+}